Grouser for tractors and the like



Nov. 2 1926.

C. F. REUTER GROUSER FOR TRACTORS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 28 1925produce a grouser for produce a grouser affording the most eflilateral80 plied to existing tractors,

80 be readily sharpened or ground when necessufficient portion of oneform Patented Nov. 2, 1926. 1,605,144 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. REUTER, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. GROUSER FOR TRACTORS ANDTHE LIKE.

Application filed February 28, 1925. Serial No. 12,241.

throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The drawings herewith illustrate the invention as applied to a tractorof the track laying type, but it will be understood that it might beapplied to other types, and that changes might be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, as it is not theintention to limit it to the precise construction and arrangement shown.

The sprocket wheel 10, chain 11 composed of links 12, and shoes 13 areor may be of any usual or suitable type, those parts shown herein havingbeen taken from the well known Bear tractor as an illustration of theapplication of the invention to the track laying type.

In the present instance the shoes 13 are secured to the links 12 bymeans of the bolts 14 which also conveniently serve to secure thegrousers 15 to the shoes, but it will be understood that other meansmight be employed so long as a substantial fastening thereof isobtained, and preferably in a readily accessible manner.

he grousers 15 are composed of bar like the other, which portions 16having rearwardly extending enables those portions to portions 17soarranged as to snugly fit into depressions 18, which exist in the type.of shoes referred to and form positionin means for the grousers and aidthe bolts 14 (in retaining them in their positions, the sai the portions17 corresponding with the holes 19 of the shoes 13 for the free passageof soil or snow outwardly, when the teeth 20 of the wheel 10 engage thechain 11.

The said bar portion soil entering edge 21 formed by the generallysmooth soil engaging face or wall 22, and

of tractor to the concave face 23, the said edge 21 having enable theinvention to be understood. a notch 24 therein for a purpose to be deFigure 2 is a. view of the outer face of scribed.

one of the shoes shown in Figure 1 with a Forw-ardly extending from thebar 16 is grouser attached thereto. a fin or calk like portion 25, theslides 26 Figure 3 is a View of the grouser shown of which arepreferably concave and terin Flgure 2 detached from the shoe. minate ina soil or ground entering edge 27 igure 4 is a view of the shoe shown inwhich Figure 2 with the grouser removed therenot form a junction withthe entering edge rom. 21, thus breaking up any sharp cornered Figure 5is a side view of a grouser as pockets which would otherwise be formed.seen in Figure 1 detached from its shoe. The notch 24 and the cut away28 also Figure 6 is a View looking toward the conveniently serve tofacilitate in the grindright F igure5. ing or sharpening operation ofthe edges Like characters represent like parts 21 and 27, whichoperation is at times re- This invention relates to grousers or groundgrippers for use in connection with tractors and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to general use and which isparticularly efficient when used on snow and ice, or on hillsides orslippery soil such asmoist-clay and the like.

It is a further objectof the invention to cient arrangement of grippingsurface for the maximum of ground grip for the forward propulsion of atractor, and combining therewith, means to effectually prevent slippage,or side skidding thereof, whether the tractor is being used on soil orsnow or ice.

Another object of the invention is to produce a grouser which may bereadil 1pand whiiih is equally applicable to the wheel propelled type aswell as to the so-called track laying type.

A still further object of the invention is to so arrange the enteringportions of the slip and skid resisting surfaces that they each enterthe soil at points thereon which have not been disturbed by arrangementalso sary, and prevents the accumulation and packing of soil or snowwhich would necessarily occur if sharp cornered pockets were formed bythe junction of those portions.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement which will be fully understood from a description of thedrawings and other claims hereinafter given:

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 representsa slide elevation of a quired, the space acquired bythe notch and understood that it may occupy va different cut away beingsuch as to permit the pasposition, or more than one fin may be emsage ofa grinding or sharpening tool along ployed and if desired may beextended from both the entering edges for the proper perthe face 22.

I formance of its duty and breaks up sharp Having described theinvention I claim: cornered pockets thus preventing lodgment A grouserfor tractors comprising a bar and packing of soil or snow. like memberhaving an outstanding wedge From the foregoing it will be readily seenshaped flange extending along one edge that the grouscr is a simple one,and has thereof, and a wedge shaped rib arranged 1 its gripping surface22 disposed to the best approximately midway of the length of saidadvantage to prevent slippage of the chain bar and outstanding therefromand peror track or running gear during the forward pendicularly withrespect to said flange, and movement of the tractor, while the fin 25spaced members forming part of said bar is equally well disposed toprevent side slipand extending perpendicularly therefrom 1 ping orskidding of the tractor as a whole and arranged to receive securingdevices for which arrangement is of especial advantage said. grouser.and necessary when using the tractor on Signed by me at Boston, Mass,this 24th snow and ice. day of February 1925.

While'the fin 25 is shown as centrally disposed with respect to the bar15 it will be CHARLES F. REUTER.

